I cannot rest my voice for four weeks, that is just impossible due to my job and my two kids. I cannot be quiet the whole not speaking alone with my twins at home. I am currently quite sure to have a great result in the end. I am not worried as I can speak the day and still have a voice in the evening, that was when the recording was made. When I do not speak for a longer time my voice gets weaker. It gets better than making the voice excersises which I got from my speech therapist.

Maybe I had choosen Dr. Kim as surgeon when I would be in a different situation.

Who knows - maybe only Dr Kims patients have to rest their voices so long and Dr Habens technique allows for a faster voice use just as all the german surgeons usually only recommend a one week voice rest. Maybe Dr kim is just overly cauteous - who knows. My intuition would be to really rest as much as possible and then be careful and slective in what to speak and how often for a while. At least in the first 6-8 weeks which Dr Haben and Dr Kim give as the timeframe for the initial healing phase in which the suture grows together.

From what Dr. Kim explained to me, when you start talking, if your voice sounds too croaky and horse, then you definitely need to give it more rest as internal healing is still taking place and,by talking, you will be doing lots of damage, which in turn will affect final results. Just take this into account, please!

Today is my 14th day post op. I tried to say my very first wird, but no luck as there was no voice whatsoever, alas! It was just a breath of air, no sound came out. 

Is this normal?  I know it's very easy to start worrying, but I just wanted to know about your experiences with your first wotd, girls.

Rita

I was with Dr Haben and for the first couple of weeks, I had that as well. You have a fair amount of welling and until the swelling goes down, that will be the best you can do. Any noise you can make for the next two weeks will not make you happy so I suggest you return to full voice rest until the end of the voice rest period. Your voice will get better but you may be a supper sweller and take longer than normal to get your voice back.

Thanks Dena, you are right. I will give it another two week rest. It's not a very happy experience when you try to speak and nothing comes out.